Not everybody loves Raymond anymore
by samanddianefan10
Summary: The family is stunned when Raymond reveals that he and Debra are getting a divorce. He is stunned more than anyone else when, after Debra asks to reconcile, that he realizes that he really doesn't want to continue the marriage anymore.


Although Marie knew that Ray and the family had taken off earlier that day for a two week vacation, she couldn't help herself-she had to go over to make sure everything was safe, that the house was still in tact (well, as in tact as Debra could have left it). Yes it was two am, and she would have been over there earlier, but she had to bribe Frank with a pastrami sandwich in order for him to go along with her. Not that she needed his protection, or, laughingly, his help. But her mothering instinct had kicked in, and she knew that Ray would be counting on her to make sure his place was in order.

"I still don't see...burrp!..why this couldn't wait until the morning " Frank grumbled as he scratched his belly.

"Ssh," Marie whispered, then she glared at the placement of his hand. "Frank, we're in public. Must you do that?"

"I must," Frank groused. "So it's okay for you to break into your son;s house in the middle of the night, but a man hasn't the right to scratch his itch?"

"The last time you wanted to ';scratch your itch,"nine months later Raymond was born," Marie griped as she listened to the front window. She thought she heard noise, but wasn't quite sure.

"So that 's why I stopped itching..." Frank chuckled.

"Ssh!" Marie tapped her husband on the shoulder. "Something';s wrong. I hear a noise."

"Yeah, me too. Mine sounds like yap, yap yap...been a constant pain in my ears for nearly fifty years now." Again, her husband grinned, quite proud of the fact that despite his fatigue, his age, and the stress of living with Marie, he could still be counted on to keep the wisecracks flowing.

"Its..its...its a TV! Raymond must have forgotten to turn the TV off. Its a good thing I'm here," Marie sighed, fumbling through her purse until she found her spare key. "Just think of all that electricity they would be charged for! What would Ray and Debra ever do without me?" she asked aloud as she turned the door knob.

"Probably be the happiest couple you'd ever want to meet," Frank smirked.

"Why do you say that? Are they having problems? I know Debra';s a bit too high and mighty considering all of her flaws but..."

And then she was met with a scream. A not feminine scream, but not entirely masculine, either.

"Raymond!" Marie exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing here? I thought you and the family were supposed to be in Florida! I didn't see the car..Debra drove, didn't she? I've seen her driving..."

"Mom! Raymond protested, his eyes adjusting to the lamp being turned on in the living room. We're fine. Everyone is fine. Just go home already, will ya?

Marie looked around..pizza boxes, empty soda (or beer) cans...spilled over bags of chips. Oh dear," she looked at Frank. "I always knew Debra had a thing with housekeeping...". Shaking her head in disgust, Marie immediately began to tidy up the room.

Ray stood up and grabbed a bag of chips from his mothers hand. "Its not like that. Just go home, Mom. It's fine. We're fine. Just.."

"No, dear, its not fine. You don't want the kids to wake up to..."

"It's fine!"Ray shouted. "Just go home, I beg of you. Please...just go..."

Just then, the front door opened, and the unmistakable presence of Ray;'s brother Robert arrived. "Mom? Dad? " Then he scowled at his younger brother. "Raymond," his voice dripped with contempt. "Whats going on here? I was doing my nightly patrol and I saw the lights on..."

"Yeah, that;'s your story, isn;'t it?" Ray scoffed. "You probably only became a cop so you could have an excuse to barge into people's homes, you giant, smelly pervert!"

Marie gasped, covering her mouth. Even Frank was taken aback, and he was always the first to enjoy a good ribbing between the brothers. "Hey..Ray...your brother may not be much to look at, he has to buy a second bed in his apartment for his feet..and that bed is in another room...he doesn't get lucky with the ladies...but he's a cop. That's a damn good job...you don;'t have to respect him, hell, he's my son and I sure don't...but respect the badge.."

Robert frowned. "Thank you?" he asked, puzzled as he turned to his mother.

She waved him off. "not now, Robbie. Your brother's in trouble."

"Of course he is," Robert sighed. Then in a mocking voice, he directed his resentment towards Ray. "What;'s the matter, Ray? Little Allie take the last of the juice boxes so you have to call Mommy over to fetch your royal highness something to drink? The gallon of milk cap too difficult for you to master?"

"Shut up, Robert!" Raymond yelled, with an intensity that surprised everyone in the room. "Everyone...just go on. I;m fine. Just go away, all right!"

"Let me just make sure the kids are all right.."Marie started up the stairs. Ray darted in front of her and blocked the stairway with his hands.

"Raymond?"she questioned. "What's going on? Where are the kids?"

"They';re fine..."

Robert stepped up. "As an officer of the law it is my duty to make sure the well being of the children.."

"Oh, stop that," Ray barked. "All of you, just stop! The kids are fine, all right? They';re with Debra if you must know. They went to Florida.."

Marie gasped. "She took the kids on vacation without you? I always knew..."

What came out of Raymond's mouth next stunned everyone into silence...even Marie. "They're not on vacation. They're moving there, all right? Debra and I...we;'re getting a divorce."

Marie grabbed on to Frank;'s hand, her other hand falling over her heart. Robert looked on in stunned disbelief.

"Yeah. We're done. She sent papers to me from her lawyer...I hope you're all happy now. I was just going to sleep on the couch," Ray complained. "Now I get to go lie down in the bed where Debra and I...well, I get to fall asleep knowing I'll never get to spend time with my wife there again. Then again, every night with her I always wondered the same thing, if we'd ever...you know..." Ray grabbed the bag of chips from the coffee table. "I;'m really tired and I really want to go to bed and I really want to be alone. Let yourselves out, will you?"

"Ray!" Marie cried out as her son walked upstairs but Frank restrained her. "Not now, Marie. Leave him alone..."

"I can';t...he needs me! He;'s all alone now and..."

"Marie.." Frank looked at her, and his voice was stern, yet with a sadness Marie seldom recognized in her husband. "Marie...let the boy sleep. You can .." he rolled his eyes. "You can go back to our place and talk to me about this.."

Robert looked at his father curiously.

Then Frank added "over breakfast. How about French toast?"

It went against everything in Marie's nature, but she complied, knowing that Frank was right. "Raymond," she sobbed as Frank opened the door for her.

Robert took a long look at the home of his brother, whom had always seemed to have it all. Robert always hated him for that. But seeing the now empty home, the thought of Debra moving to another state with his boys.. It turned out Robert was no longer the loser of the Barone family. The thought normally would have made him giddy, but clearly, this was nothing to celebrate.

Everyone loved Raymond...that was the story of their lives. Robert shook his head, and as he shut the door behind him he muttered out loud. "Not everybody loves Raymond anymore:"

TBC


End file.
